Liars and Saints
by Ara May
Summary: Nobody said choosing between what you think you need and what you know you want was going to be easy. "I'm getting married tomorrow." She laughed and tried to shake the whisky-induced smile off of her face so she could frown and come to her senses. "He doesn't hate you. He doesn't even know you exist."
1. Responsibility

**Liars and Saints**  
>By Ara May<p>

**A/N:** Due credit is owed to Maile Meloy's novel of the same name. It is through that book that the overall tone and some influential lines of this story were extracted/adapted. To that end, it's different from my usual writing. Tenses are skewed and characters actions are muddled under the influence.

Of course, A big thank you to lost0and0found who had been helping me bounce around ideas for this story for months and was a beyond _amazing_ beta throughout the duration of that initial process. Not to mention, simply bearing with me for the last couple of years while I practiced my Jimmy Hoffa impression.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One:<br>Responsibility**

_**August 2008**_

Breakups create war zones and only ghosts of former selves are willing to get back into the trenches. Nobody said choosing between what you think you need and what you know you want was going to be easy.

It was that particular fact of life that brought Rory Gilmore to her current location.

With a twitch of confusion floating across her companion's features following her spontaneous arrival, the planes of Jess Mariano's face returned to their usual stoicism.

They both made quick work of their greetings and before any time was devoted to small talk, Jess offered Rory a drink as if she were _just_ an unexpected visitor from out of town.

With his question, she tilted her head to the side and offered him a grateful smile, "That's what I always liked about you. You never need any reasons. You just accept things the way they are and go with the flow."

He raked a hand across his chin before handing her a freshly poured glass of something strong. It was a light caramel brown. "I'll admit, I _am _curious."

Rory gave Jess a weak smile before looking down at the liquid in her glass. After making quick eye contact with Jess, she returned her gaze to the container in her hand before downing its entire content in a single gulp. She coughed then spoke her earlier thoughts, "_Wow. _Strong."

Jess cocked an eyebrow, more than a little worried about her, but still managed to form a casual smirk. "Huh," the single-syllable word escaped his lips in near-silence.

He took a step away from her and noticed her eyes were clouded with something. He made himself believe it was the alcohol that was now coursing through her; but her tolerance couldn't be _that_ low, could it?

Rory crossed her arms across her chest as some sort of protection. He watched as slow tears began to trickle down her face. "Rory, what's going on?" he asked quietly. "Why are you here?"

She looked down at her shoes ashamed before bluntly stating, "I'm getting married tomorrow."

"Well, you sure know how to bury the lead." His eyes grew wide as he continued to stare at her.

She was stubbornly refusing eye contact in any way possible.

"Why come here?"

"I don't know," Rory answered honestly.

Jess pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what that means, Rory." His jaw tightened as he simply looked at her and waited.

There was a pause.

"Why did you come here?" Jess asked again and Rory faltered. "You came here. _To Philly_. And you're getting married tomorrow," he noted as if she needed a reminder.

Maybe he was reminding himself that perhaps tonight was simply a moment separated from reality.

"I…I just needed to see you," she finally admitted.

* * *

><p>"Who's the lucky guy? <em>Logan<em>?" Jess asked casually. The large amount of alcohol he just consumed made him brave enough to ask.

Rory smiled sweetly. "No."

"Really?" he was genuinely surprised. "Someone else? Or Dean? _Please_ tell me, not Dean."

She erupted into a fit of giggles. "No. Not Dean either."

"New guy then." He nodded in acknowledgement and started tracing the rim of his glass with the pad of his index finger.

"Yeah."

"_Great_. Another one of your boyfriends poised to hate me."

She laughed and tried to shake the whisky-induced smile off of her face so she could frown and come to her senses. "He doesn't hate you. He doesn't even know you exist."

"What happens when he finds out you came here tonight?"

Rory scrunched her face. "Oh, that."

He smirked against his better judgment. "Yeah. _That._"

"God. How am I even going to explain this?" Rory began to panic and kept tugging on her hair distractedly. Her actions caused it to come out of the perfect curls she had spent an hour on earlier that morning.

Jess shrugged. "You just came to see an old friend. Nothing's gonna happen."

She bit her lip. "Yeah. That's a good answer. You're right."

Jess finished the rest of his drink and stood up with his empty glass. "So…refill?" He swirled his remaining ice around so that it chimed against the glass.

"Yes, please." She reached up to him with her glass.

His fingers grazed the back of her hand as he took it from her grasp.

She watched as he walked toward the kitchen and did her best to ignore the rising goose bumps.

* * *

><p>The bottle of Jack Daniel's that Jess had only opened upon Rory's arrival was near empty. As he stood in the kitchen, he held it in the air toward the light. He looked confused. "Hm…"he muttered.<p>

Rory slid across the tile floor in her socks as she came out of the bathroom. When she was within feet of him she managed to stop and looked up at the bottle in his hand. "Empty," she commented with a frown.

"Seems so." He set the bottle on the counter.

Realization quickly drowned out her features, "I need to drive back to Connecticut." She grew more panicked. "I'm getting married tomorrow!"

Jess crossed his arms across his chest and smiled smugly. "Still going through with that?"

"Jess!"

"Yes? You did just cross state lines to get away today. It's a valid question"

She bit her lip. "He's a good guy." Her voice came out quietly.

He shrugged and leaned back against the counter. "I'm sure he is."

"I actually think you'd like him." She stretched her arm and put a hand on his shoulder.

Jess simply nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets to keep from doing anything he might regret.

Rory took a step back.

"I'm not gonna let you leave." The words came out of his mouth faster than he had time to think them.

_So much for not doing anything stupid._

The words caught Rory off guard. "What?"

Thinking of a quick save, he reasoned. "We just split a fifth of Jack. I'm not going to be held responsible for letting you drive."

She looked at him seriously for a moment. "_Responsible_," she said as if trying out the word for the first time. "Good…right."

"You're welcome to crash here. I _am_ the reason you're shitfaced right now. It's the least I could do."

"I am not _'shitfaced_.' I'm fine!" Rory gestured animatedly causing her to lose her balance.

She stumbled into him as he caught her.

His hand was placed delicately on her waistline.

Her eyes darted to his mouth. "Well, this is cliché."

His eyes quickly drifted to her lips before he took a breath and let go of her opting to subdue the rising tension. "Why don't you call your mom? Tell her where you are."

"That'll go well," she propped herself on his kitchen counter. "'_Hey Mom. I just felt like driving to Philadelphia to get drunk with Jess. I'll be back in time for my wedding. Try not to worry!_'" Rory sarcastically mocked.

Jess shook his head in false disbelief. "I'd leave out the coming to Philly thing. And the getting drunk thing. And it'd probably be wise if you didn't mention me at all either," he chuckled.

"So just tell her I'll be back?"

"Sounds good."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "And when she asks me where I am?"

"Tell her you went to a spa?" he suggested.

"Without her?!"

* * *

><p>Rory sat on the edge of Jess' bed dressed in his sweatpants and her own T-shirt. She tapped lightly on the comforter waiting for him to get back from brushing his teeth. She took the opportunity to look around his room and it was exactly as expected: A large bookshelf overflowing with books, <em>more<em> books all over the floor, and a desk by the window with a laptop and stacks of paper. There was an overwhelming neatness to his room that she didn't expect. Rory was considering getting up to see if any of those papers had any samples of what he might have been currently writing when Jess appeared in the doorway. "You can take my bed if you want. I can sleep on the couch."

"Jess, no. You've done enough. I can take the couch."

"I don't know when Chris and Matt are going to be back. They'll probably wake you up in the middle of the night." He thought of more reasons and continued, "You should get some good rest. Big day tomorrow." He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was now past midnight. "_Today_, actually."

She smiled weakly at him. "Wow. I'm getting married today."

He stopped leaning on the doorframe and move to sit next to her. "Can I ask you something?"

Confusion flicked in her eyes for a mere moment. "Yeah, of course."

"Why here?"

"Honestly?"

"Please."

She inhaled deeply. "I was trying on my wedding dress this afternoon and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I heard your voice." She let out an uncomfortable laugh and continued by mimicking the voice in her head. "'_This isn't you, Rory. You know it isn't._' Over and over again until I couldn't even concentrate." Jess watched her closely as she seemed to be talking to herself. "I know things are different than they were back then, but a part of me needed to know if I was making the right decision. If it was _me_, making the best choice for myself. Not a _version_ of me." She looked at him straight in the eye and gave him a simplified answer. "You were in my head, Jess. You're _always_ in my head."

He made no judgments but asked, "Find your answer?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

He nodded knowingly and nudged his head toward the living room. "I'm gonna take the couch."

As he began to stand, Rory's hand softly gripped his wrist. Her blue eyes were still bright. Jess looked at her confused. "Stay," she said quietly.

He gave her a serious look before standing up anyway. He felt a pang as he watched her face fall but still took a few strides away from her.

Jess glared at her. "_Please _tell me this is not why you came here." His temper was rising quicker than he could think.

"No!" _No, no, no, no, no! _"Of course not," she tried to remain calm as she continued to sit. She crossed her legs at the ankles.

"That's not fair, Rory. I can't be the fucking asshole that you come to every time – and I mean _every time_ – there's a problem with your boyfriend!" He was pacing wildly in his room. "I don't deserve it."

"_Oh_, give me more credit than that!" she too was now yelling.

"Then why are you here?" his voice seemed to come directly from his throat. "What's going on with you and…fuck, I don't even know his name!"

"Ben," she muttered quietly, twisting her engagement ring on her finger. He only just noticed it. "I'm here because I missed you. I _wanted_ to see you," she finally answered the question she had ignored. "I already told you that."

Jess stiffened but seemed to get a grip on his anger.

"Nothing is going on with us," Rory continued. "He's good to me, he treats me right, he's everything I ever imagined needing."

"Good to know," he recited resentfully, though after a deep breath he became significantly calmer. He gave her one last look before making movements toward the door.

That's when Rory admitted the one secret she promised herself she'd never say out loud: _She'd been pining_. "He's still not you, though."

By the door, he turned around and gave her another look. He blinked apprehensively as if she were going to disappear when his eyes reopened. "I'm right here."

"And so am I," she smiled at him pathetically. "Have you ever wondered if this was something we needed?"

Bitterly, he laughed. "I don't know about need, but I can tell you _plenty_ of times where I _know_ this is exactly what I wanted."

"So what's changed now?"

He pursed his lips together so they formed a straight line. The truth was, nothing had changed. What she was offering was exactly what he would want had this been some sort of alternate universe where everything wasn't so fucked.

He's afraid going through with this will sting; but maybe that's really all he wants. Not _her_, but the feeling of closure: A goodbye to solidify (finally) that there is no _them_, just the remains of a building that had taken all of the damage in the battle that was their ill-fated romance.

He nearly has himself convinced.

He doesn't answer her question.

Instead, he commented, "You're really testing my self-control, Rory."

She stood up and stared right at him, unashamed of what she was asking.

Jess raked a hand across his forehead. She cupped his face in her palm while he subconsciously leaned into her touch.

His eyes closed and her voice came out soft, "Then stop trying so hard."

Her lips brushed against his and in a swift movement the door was closed and the light was switched off.

_All thoughts of responsibility floated out of mind._

The bed shifted as their bodies collapsed upon it.

With both hands she held his face between palms and crashed her lips into his.

Minutes later Jess pulled back, trying to catch his breath. Rory tilted her head to the side. "What the hell are we doing?"

"Tying up loose ends…" Rory murmured into his neck before coming face to face with him once more.

"So, this is closure?"

He needs her to say 'yes,' more than anything, even if she has to lie.

Deep down, he knows he should stop things before they got out of control.

"No," Rory answered honestly. "This is you and me." She began to tug on Jess' bottom lip with her teeth.

All Jess could do was understand; _what else was there to say?_ Everyone has his or her tragic flaws and in that moment he was certain that she was his. Instead of pushing her away, he moved his arms around her and pressed their bodies together until no space remained.

In the next moments, their actions became a confused rush of images and they suddenly found themselves wearing next to no clothing. Jess rolled off of Rory and propped himself up on his elbow. His mind was still clouded from the whisky and he could only assume hers was too.

He waited for his vision to adjust in the dark and looked at her seriously. "You sure?"

She nodded and he began to make love to her then.

(_Was it right to even call it that?_)

She was nervous, he could feel it in her body.

Hell, he was nervous too.

_It was never supposed to be like this_.

* * *

><p>"What do I do?" she asked later as he lightly traced incoherent patterns across her flat stomach.<p>

"If you love him, you should marry him." Love was as simple as that, right?

"And what about us?"

"_It is what it is,_" he repeated his words from two years prior. It was the only answer he could come up with when it came to the two of them. He'd be the first to admit he put a lot of thought into it. "I can't be your second choice."

"Jess, you were never—"

He gingerly pressed a finger against her lips effectively cutting her off. "_This_ doesn't have to mean anything. We can keep it between us. Pretend it never happened."

She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes. "I don't think I could do that."

They both started to drift to sleep.

* * *

><p>Rory managed to return to Stars Hollow by two in the afternoon. Lorelai was frantic. "Where've you been?" Rory only caught her mother's voicemail the night before and wasn't able to come up with a quick excuse.<p>

"Just thinking things through." Rory shrugged off her absence as she walked through the foyer of her mother's house and into her childhood room.

Lorelai followed closely behind. "Are we still having a wedding?"

Rory shot Lorelai a look as she walked toward her room. "Of course. Why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know. You're suddenly 'thinking things through,' and Luke got a mysterious call this morning."

That caught Rory's attention. "From who?"

"I think you know."

Rory struggled from rolling her eyes. "I'm not psychic…"

"Luke won't tell me anything about it. So, anything you'd like to share, sweets?" Lorelai made herself comfortable on Rory's bed.

"Not really."

"Where'd you go last night?" Rory bit her lip and Lorelai continued, "C'mon. You can tell mommy."

Rory grabbed her robe off of her desk chair. "Jeez. You already know, don't you?"

"Well, not officially!"

"Are you gonna be mad?"

"Depends."

"Fine! I went to see Jess." Lorelai gave her a knowing look. "Nothing happened," she lied.

"Are you sure?"

"I was the one who was there, Mom."

"You're going to have to tell Ben."

"Tell Ben what?" Rory was getting defensive. "That I went to Philadelphia to see an old friend last night?"

Lorelai narrowed her eyes, "There's more to it than that."

"Nothing happened!" Rory insisted.

"Well, hun. I meant there's more to it between you and Jess than being 'old friends,' but sure, keep on insisting that 'nothing happened,' you've almost got me _not_ believing you."

"Mom…"

Lorelai raised her hands. "Hey, I'm just saying, if my fiancé went to visit an ex-girlfriend the day before our wedding, I'd want to know. You and Ben haven't even known each other all that long. Maybe you should tell him about Jess. That he exists at least. He _is_ Luke's nephew after all."

Rory rolled her eyes, "What do you want me to do? Call him up right now and tell him that Luke has a nephew? Because that won't be weird."

"I think you're missing the underlying point."

"Which is?"

"That you and Jess have a history."

"Yeah, we dated five years ago. Big whoop." She was getting annoyed.

"Rory, my angel child, you know I'd be the last to admit it, but there's more to it than that."

"I…I don't think there's a way I could tell him without ruining everything."

"I just don't want you going into a marriage with a guilty conscious. It's bad karma. _Trust me_." Lorelai reasoned, referring to her short-lived marriage to Christopher.

"There's nothing to be guilty about," Rory stated with a sense of finality. "I need to start getting ready." She wrapped her robe around herself.

"Okay," Lorelai relented.

Rory exited the room.

In the shower a few minutes later, she let herself cry.

* * *

><p>Rory didn't get any cold feet the rest of the day. After her shower she pulled herself together and stubbornly decided that she was making the right choice. Rory, Lorelai, and the ivory dress made their way to the Dragonfly to prepare for the big event.<p>

As Lorelai managed a few last minute alterations to the dress, Lane helped Rory with her hair and makeup.

The outdoor ceremony made full use of the crisp autumn weather. The trees were just beginning to change color. Rory walked down the makeshift aisle without tripping. Christopher was the one who gave her away (though she had told Luke earlier in the week that it seemed wrong that it wasn't him).

Ben in his tuxedo was a glorious thing and made Rory beam as she stepped closer to him.

The look he gave her in return made the sparkle in her eye disappear, it was then that she pictured herself tangled in the sheets with Jess.

Her guilt made her smile falter so she tried too hard to put it back. She looked deranged for but a moment before she was able to convince herself that a life was Ben was exactly what she needed.

The ceremony was perfect and when it was time to repeat her vows they sounded formal and strange. Her mind was elsewhere and it was as if someone else were saying the words.

When Rory and Ben were in the middle of their first dance at the reception, Jess' voice echoed in her mind for the second time in as many days. '_I can't be your second choice_."

Her stomach dropped.

She frowned.

Ben suddenly looked concerned. "What's the matter?"

She looked up at Ben. His gray-green eyes were glowing. He looked happy and there was no doubt in her mind that he loved her with everything he had. She smiled and placed her head in the crook of his neck. "Nothing. Everything's perfect."

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"Love you, too." Rory pecked him quickly on the lips and they began a life together that suddenly felt like a compromise.


	2. Secrets

**Chapter Two:**

**Secrets**

_**February 2009**_

Rory became pregnant right away. It was a surprise and the timing made it so she was about three months along when Barack Obama was elected president. She was happy even though she had left her job following his campaign after five months. She was offered a stationary job at a newspaper in Hartford and she couldn't resist being closer to home. She never regretted the decision because it was around then that she met Ben.

Rory and Ben's romance had been rapid and their engagement short. From meeting to marriage took less than a year. When they first met, Ben was kind and proved a great distraction following Rory's breakup with Logan. She had tried not to pine but in a whirlwind she and Logan went from nearly engaged to not even talking with Logan moving to the other side of the country.

After the first few dates Rory and Ben had shared, Rory began to find it strange that she had ever imagined her life without knowing him. They fit together easily and it was almost as if at the very moment of their first meeting she had entered a dream that was a detour from the normalcy of her life. In effect, this would become the issue. Everything was always perfect and there was no question that it was only a detour – a long dream – and once the correct circumstances aligned, her life would resume its orderly course.

Ben was the poster child for gentlemen. He liked rules and appreciated their function; his rationality was something that attracted Rory and if anyone in the world outside of Holy occupation could be considered a saint, it was Ben. Lorelai went so far as to call him 'Saint Ben,' behind his back after first meeting him. That was probably the reason why, surprisingly, Lorelai had nothing but congratulations to say when Rory told her that she and Ben were engaged after only six months of dating.

Rory was terrified when she found out she was pregnant. At first there was her initial fear of something 'coming around the mountain,' and then there were the thoughts of telling Ben and the irrationalities that sprung to mind about him asking her for a divorce. The peskiest thought, however, was the timing and the mathematical possibility that there was that chance that maybe, just maybe, the small creature she was growing inside her wasn't Ben's at all. It was that thought alone that made Rory's stomach drop with guilt and delayed her from telling anybody anything until a month after she had found out herself.

With stubborn determination, Rory convinced herself that that her soon-to-be child was with her husband. When she finally told Ben the news, he was thrilled and it turned out that Rory was worrying about nothing.

_For the most part._

Often Rory would be up late at night unable to sleep. Whenever Ben woke up and saw her lying there with her eyes wide open, she'd shake it off and blame the pregnancy. What kept her awake was the heaviness of what she had undertaken to keep from him, and a rushing upward in the top of her head. Eventually she'd be able to take a deep breath and fall into a restless sleep.

When Rory was six months pregnant she and Ben went to Stars Hollow for the day. Lorelai was in the kitchen making them all some coffee when the phone rang. Lorelai shouted at Luke asking him to answer it. "Hello?" There was a pause as the person on the other end of the line replied. "Today?...Yeah, okay…Of course it's fine, you're always welcome…Yeah, okay." Luke hung up just as Lorelai returned with three mugs of coffee.

"Who was that?" Lorelai asked.

Luke looked at Rory and fidgeted. She caught on quick. "Jess is coming?"

"Jess?" Ben asked and Rory remained silent. Bathed in the situation's veracity most of what she remembered from the last time she saw _him_ was guilt and the memory that in the last few moments they shared all the rules in the world had been suspended and now reality was literally staring her in the face. It was very likely that Ben and Jess would meet and Rory was nowhere near prepared.

Luke's eyes darted from Lorelai to Rory before they reached Ben. "My nephew."

"Was he at your wedding?"

Lorelai shook her head, "No. He couldn't make it."

And they left it at that.

* * *

><p>It was late February and the Connecticut winter was in full effect.<p>

They were all in the diner for lunch when _he_ appeared. His hair was longer than the last time she saw him (though, not by much), his face covered in rugged stubble. Rory watched as Jess' eyes drifted toward her protruding belly and when he smiled a rush of images fluttered through her mind. She remembered his hands unzipping her skirt and the softness of everything he did.

Rory suddenly placed a hand over her bump and grinned widely.

"What is it?" Jess asked.

"I'm being attacked."

"Kicking?"

"Yeah."

"Doesn't that feel weird?"

"I don't know, it's kind of cool. Knowing something that you made – a little person – is in there…"

"— Clawing you from the inside?" he interrupted "I bet."

"It's nice," Rory insisted. She moved her hand a few inches. "She's doing it again. Here, feel."

"You sure?"

Rory rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist with her free hand. She then guided it to the spot where the baby was kicking. "Wow…that's _something_."

"You're as sentimental as ever," Rory panned.

Jess shrugged, "I try."

Ben entered the diner just as Jess was moving his hands away from Rory's stomach. Rory looked at her husband guiltily while Jess stood beside her with a smirk gracing his features. "Hi," Rory greeted.

"Hi," Ben returned the greeting, flashing a smile at his wife.

"Have you met Jess?" she nervously asked even though she already knew the answer.

"I just found out he existed this morning, so I'm gonna say 'No,' Ben laughed.

Jess raked a hand across his chin and looked at Rory, "I'm flattered."

"I didn't mean anything by that," Ben directed at Jess.

"S'alright, I was just kidding."

"Jess lived in Stars Hollow for a few years while we were in high school."

"Now I'm really confused as to why I've never even heard you mentioned before."

"I'm rather irrelevant, I s'pose."

There was a twinkle in his eye that Rory caught telling her he was just messing around. She wasn't quite sure that Ben was on the same page though. "Jess!"

Rory stared at him before looking back at Ben, "He's kidding."

That's when Ben caught on and observed with a chuckle. "You two definitely dated, didn't you?"

Rory's face reddened.

"Busted," Jess' smirk grew wider. "On that note, I'm gonna go help Luke in the back. Nice to finally meet you, Ben."

* * *

><p>"Do you want to explain that look he gave you?" Lorelai asked Rory later that night when Ben was picking up the takeout and Luke was busy at the diner cleaning the upstairs apartment preparing for Jess' weekend stay.<p>

"Hm?" Rory peered over her magazine.

"Jess," she replied as if it explained everything.

Rory furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm sorry. I'm not following."

"You two are hiding something," Lorelai nodded her head knowingly.

Rory let out an uncomfortable laugh, "You're cracked." She looked back at her magazine.

"Ha!" A grin lit up Lorelai's features. "You're lying! You're doing the blink-y thing!"

"I can't control the way he looks at me," She rolled her eyes and stood up, discarding her magazine on the coffee table. She started walking toward the kitchen.

Lorelai followed close behind. "But you _can_ control the way you look at him, and the way you looked at him was like a big neon sign pointing at the two of you saying 'Look at us! We would make the worst undercover agents ever."

Rory grabbed a soda out of the fridge and popped it open. "That's quite the sign," she quipped.

"_So_ not the point."

"What isn't?"

"The sign."

"Are you sure?" Rory took a sip of her drink, "Because I was thinking that it could be your next business venture. All the townies would go _crazy_ for it. Maybe Kirk will go in as a partner. That'll save you some startup."

"Rory…"

"Yes?"

"You're being evasive."

"Am I?"

"What's going on?"

Rory sighed heavily and sat down at the table, "Nothing can be going on since today was the first time I've seen him in a while."

Lorelai joined her. She paused to think for a second, "The last time being…?"

"The night before the wedding…" she bit her cheek.

"Ah. The night where 'nothing happened,' right?"

"That sounds about right."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "Are you ready to tell Mommy what really happened now?"

Rory looked away stubbornly, "No."

"So something _did _happen."

It wasn't a question this time. _Fact_.

She looked back at Lorelai whose eyes were sympathetic. "I love Ben. I _married_ Ben."

"But…" Lorelai urged.

"I don't know. Jess does things to me. He makes me stupid. I'm not stupid!"

Lorelai looked worried, "So you're saying that…you and Jess…that night….?"

She was apprehensive about filling in the blanks.

Rory could no longer look her mother in the eye. She spoke looking at the table, "We drank too much…one thing led to another…."

Lorelai's eyes drifted toward Rory's growing stomach. Her heart started beating faster, "If you two…well, I don't know how to put this, but there's a possibility that she could be his, right?"

Understanding what Lorelai was saying, Rory looked back at her mother while placing a hand near her bellybutton. Her eyes went wide as tears started streaming down her face. "No."

"Rory, this isn't something you can just pretend didn't happen."

"Yes it is. I've been doing perfectly fine doing that for the last six months."

"And all that meant nothing the moment you saw Jess again!"

"She's Ben's. She _has_ to be Ben's." Rory muttered stubbornly.

"And I'm not saying she isn't, but _if_ she's Jess', you really think that's something you can keep from Ben? And do you think it'll be okay with Jess that some other guy is raising his kid?"

"Ben is not some 'other guy.' He's my husband. _This_," Rory gestured at her stomach, "is a family."

The front door opened and Rory's tear-rimmed eyes grew wide. "He can't see me like this," Rory whispered quickly to her mother.

Lorelai pointed to the backdoor and mouthed "Go take a walk." She stood up quickly to provide interference before Ben reached the kitchen.

Rory tiptoed to the door and closed it silently behind her.

* * *

><p>Rory stepped into the darkness, furiously wiping at her eyes. She let her feet take her where they willed and ultimately ended up seated underneath the gazebo. The twinkle lights lit up the square and made everything magical.<p>

Nearly ten minutes later, a red ember caught Rory's eye. Jess had just left the diner and lit a cigarette. He was walking down the sidewalk toward Doose's when Rory suddenly heard herself call out his name.

Jess's head turned and he squinted in her direction. He walked toward her with slow steps, savoring the taste of nicotine. As he reached the gazebo, he crushed his fag on the railing both for her benefit and her baby's. He leaned casually facing her, "Hey."

"Hi." He didn't say anything else, so she continued. "How are you? I know that sounds really lame…sorry."

"Good. Things are good." Jess was hyper-aware that this was the first time they had been alone together since she left his bed on her wedding day.

"Yeah?' she asked, hoping that he was being sincere.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I'm writing another book."

Her face lit up, "You are? Oh my God, that is so great Jess! What's it about? When can I read it?"

Jess couldn't help but chuckle, "I'll send you the first copy and you can find out."

"I guess that's fair." Her smile didn't fade.

"What are you doing out here by yourself anyway?"

Rory bit her lip, "I told mom about us…" Jess gave her a look so Rory clarified. "The night before the wedding." His eyes widened but otherwise he remained still. "And then Ben came home and I just couldn't face him so I slipped out the back door."

"Very evasive." A beat. "Are you gonna tell him?"

She furrowed her brow, "Do you think I should?"

"It's not up to me."

"Your opinion could factor in."

He didn't want to say anything, so he tried to brush her off, "We were drunk. That's all it was."

She looked at her lap, shy. "Was it though?"

Jess wanted to be honest with her but ended up asking, "Does it really matter at this point?"

Rory looked at him straight in the eye, "No, I guess not."

He looked down at Rory's stomach and changed the subject, "So that happened pretty quick."

She wrapped her arms around herself protectively, "Yeah, I was surprised."

"How are you dealing with it?"

Rory shrugged, "Well, Luke spaces the tables in the diner further apart once a week so it's like I'm not inflating faster than a hot air balloon."

He smiled at the image, "Wise decision."

"Makes it so it's like I don't even know that I'm pregnant," Rory joked. "Except when she kicks, of course."

"_She_?"

"Yeah. Makes it more real, doesn't it?" Rory beamed.

"That it does," he nodded. "Got any names picked out?"

"Ben suggested a few."

"And?"

"His top choice is to name her after his Great Aunt…though I don't think 'Edith' is the best choice." She made a face, "Is that even a name? It's just sounds. 'Ed-ith,' Rory repeated.

"Aren't all words just sounds?" Jess laughed and moved to sit next to her on the bench.

"Yeah, well saying 'Edith' makes me sound like I have a lisp."

"So I take it Edith is off the table," he smirked.

Rory rolled her eyes, "Shut up."

"So what about you?"

"What about me?" she retorted.

"What's your top choice?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"C'mon, you have to have some ideas."

"I think it would be pretty cool to name her after one of my favorite characters," she admitted.

"So what…like Esther Greenwood?"

Rory raised an eyebrow, "Are you suggesting I name my daughter after a mentally unstable woman?"

"Figured it was tradition, knowing your mom," he tried to keep a straight face.

She shook her head, "I'd rather stick with Edith."

He let out a full laugh, "How about naming her after an author?"

Rory glared at him, "Don't tell me you're now saying I should name her Sylvia."

"No, I was thinking something more… _suitable_."

"Like?"

"Charlotte."

"Charlotte?" Rory smiled at the sound of it. "Jane Eyre _is_ one of my favorite books."

Jess caught her glance. "I know," he stated seriously.

They sat with their backs to Stars Hollow's whitewashed church and while their conversation continued, in the back of both of their minds, was a life together that could have been.


	3. Love

**Chapter Three:**

**Love**

'_I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity. The bored haughty face that she turned to the world concealed something—most affectations conceal something eventually, even though they don't in the beginning—and one day I found what it was.'_

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, _The Great Gatsby_

_**May 2011**_

Elsie Chambers emanated light all around her. Her smile was inviting and the innocence through which she saw the good in everybody was refreshing – a stark contrast to Jess' general apprehensions.

When they had met, his life turned on a pivot. She came up to him at one of Truncheon's open houses with her bottom lip pinched between her teeth. He liked that she was forceful in her convictions. At the end of their first official date a few weeks later, he was smiling too hard to kiss her right. She often mocked him about it later and he never defended himself with excuses. Instead, he would smirk before offering to kiss her properly.

He really loved her – once he got used to the idea. His feelings caught him by surprise one day when she had stopped by his work just to say 'Hi' and he was suddenly filled with an aching warmth. It was in that moment that he knew the truth, but he still said nothing about it for months. When he finally said those three little words, she rolled her eyes at him as if it was obvious with a coy smile on her face and he fell just a little bit harder.

Jess leaned in the doorway of her bathroom as Elsie pulled her long russet hair into a pile on the top of her head preparing to put on her makeup. "Can I talk to you about something?"

She adjusted the knobs on the faucet so the running water could reach the perfect temperature, "Always."

"Matt and Chris were talking about me going around to distribute my book next week."

Elsie looked at his reflection in the mirror as she applied her face wash, "Going around where?"

"Massachusetts, Connecticut. _New England_, basically."

"Don't you have minions to do that for you these days?" she asked with a laugh.

Jess shrugged and uncrossed his arms. "They were thinking of it more like a 'book tour' type thing since the last book went okay. Something about putting my face out there," he rolled his eyes as he swept his arm through the air. "Whatever."

She turned around with her face still covered in soap and kissed him on the cheek, "You do have an _adorable_ face."

A beat.

"Do you want Indian food tonight?"

"Is that a serious question?" Jess asked. One eyebrow was perched higher than the other.

"I thought so," she laughed.

"When have I ever wanted Indian food?"

"Last year on my birthday," she kept thumbing through the yellow pages.

"Exactly. That was a special occasion."

"And tonight's not?"

"Not what?"

"A special occasion," she clarified.

"Am I missing something?" His voice was mocking and contained a general hint of curiosity.

"Jess!" she scolded. "Our anniversary!"

He gave her his full attention, "That's not today."

"Well, it's next week. And since you _just_now told me you were hitting the road next week, that means I get to choose where we're going to dinner tonight."

Jess stood up and walked toward her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her shoulder, "Just Connecticut for a few days. I'll be back for our _actual_ anniversary."

"You're supposed to be in Massachusetts next weekend. It makes no sense to come back here." She flipped around in his arms so their hips were touching.

"So you want to celebrate our anniversary today?"

"Two years is a big deal. I just don't want to miss it."

"And you want to spend our non-anniversary getting Indian food?" She nodded. "Why don't you just take a few days off work and come with me?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not?" She grinned, "What?"

"Does this mean I get to finally meet your family?"

"They'll be there."

"Wow, you really don't want Indian food tonight."

He pecked her on the lips, "That obvious?"

* * *

><p>"Jess, hey. I didn't know you were in town!"<p>

He stuck his hands deep in his pockets and shrugged, "Book tour."

"That's right. Wow, I can't believe you've published your fourth book already."

"It's a crazy world we live in." Jess looked down toward Rory's companion. The small girl had a blue ribbon around her ponytail. "Wow, she's gotten big."

"I keep telling her to stop growing. Darn kids, never listen." Rory looked down at her daughter who was holding her hand as they stood on the sidewalk.

"She reading yet?"

Rory narrowed her eyes, "Jess, she's two. She's barely stringing together coherent sentences."

"Ah, but I would expect Rory Gilmore to start teaching her kids early."

"She has books," Rory admitted.

"_Goodnight Moon_?"

"Among others."

"Like…?"

"Well, I give her yours to droll on every once in a while. She seems to like it," she quipped.

"Something needs to give her some insight into the wonderful word of profanity."

Rory scrunched her nose, "I didn't even think of that!"

"You really gave her my book?"

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"You're about to get really cocky, I can tell."

"Not cocky. I'm flattered."

"I think she's just fond of the cover." Charlotte let go of Rory's hand and grabbed onto Jess' jeans. "Then again, maybe she just likes you."

The young girl tugged on Jess' pants and looked up at him with a wide smile, "Hi."

He patted her on the head, "Hey."

Charlotte put both of her arms in the air. "Sorry," Rory laughed. "Char, sweetie, stop bugging Jess."

Jess surprised them both by picking up the toddler and holding her in his arms.

"Who are you?" Charlotte asked.

"Jess," he answered as he adjusted her dress. It was covered with small sunflowers.

"You look just like your mom, squirt."

Her cheeks got rosy as her smile got even wider. One dimple emerged, "Gramma Lor'lai says that too!" And then matter-of-factly, "Except I have my daddy's eyes."

"You do, don't you?" Jess agreed.

"Yeah. Daddy says it's too bad 'cause Mommy has the prettiest eyes."

Jess chuckled and turned his attention to Rory, "Getting the kid to give you compliments when he's not around. _Smart man_." Rory rolled her eyes and Jess looked back at Charlotte, "I think you're pretty just the way you are."

"You think I'm pretty?!" Charlotte said enthusiastically.

"_Very_."

"You think Mommy's pretty too then."

Jess was caught by surprise.

"Charlotte!" Rory scolded.

"You said I look like Mommy and you said I'm pretty. So Mommy's pretty too, right?"

"Smart kid you have here, Ror."

Rory bit her lip, "You know what they say, apples and whatnot."

"_Huh_, clever."

"There you are!" A voice came from behind Jess. He turned around, pivoting on one toe. "You haven't gone to the store yet. Good! I just remembered we _definitely_ need some pistachios for the trip to Boston tomorrow." She paused. "Hi, whose your friend?"

Jess watched as Rory tensed at Elsie's presence. He narrowed his eyes at Rory as he handed her Charlotte and she forced a smile, "Hey. I'm Rory."

"Rory is Luke's wife's daughter," Jess gestured with his hands as he explained. "This is her daughter, Charlotte." There was a pause before Jess added, "Oh, and this is Elsie."

"Oh cool! Nice to meet you, Rory!" Elsie grinned. "And hi, _Charlotte_!" she cooed.

"Are you Misses Jess?" Charlotte asked innocently and caused worry line to appear on her mother's forehead.

Elsie was shocked, "What?"

Jess simply laughed, "Elsie's my girlfriend."

Rory twitched and it didn't go unnoticed by Jess.

"What's that mean?" Charlotte asked.

Rory forced a smile, "It means that Jess and Elsie are dating."

"Like you and Daddy used to date?"

Rory nodded, "Just like that."

Charlotte looked at Elsie, "Are you and Jess gonna get married like Mommy and Daddy?"

Jess stiffened as Elsie answered with a quick, "I don't know." As she noticed Jess grow increasingly uncomfortable she excused herself. "I'm gonna go in and find the stuff."

Jess nodded, "I'll meet you in there in a minute."

Jess was seething as soon as Elsie was inside of the market, "Do you have a problem?"

Rory shook her head, "Nope."

"Huh. Seems like you do."

For her part, Charlotte recognized the anger in Jess' voice and cupped her small hands over her ears.

"Well, I don't."

"_Please_," he scoffed.

"It would have been nice to get a heads-up, that's all."

"A heads-up about what exactly?"

"_Her_. Here."

"So you have a problem with Elsie?"

She glared at him, "No."

"Because if you do, I'd like to see what Ben's opinion is about this is. Where _is_ Ben, by the way?"

"He's in Belgrade covering the capture of Ratko Mladic," Rory panned, answering his question literally.

Jess narrowed his eyes, "What's your deal?"

"I don't have a 'deal!'" Rory insisted, her voice getting louder. Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut and brought in her elbows so her grip on her ears was tighter.

"Rory…" Jess lowered his voice for Charlotte's sake.

"Your girlfriend is waiting for you," Rory stated bitterly before taking a deep breath to clear her head.

"This isn't fair, Rory."

Rory simply shrugged and marched toward her mother's house with Charlotte perched in her arms.

* * *

><p>He hasn't smoked in years. Not like this. In the alley behind the diner he took drag after drag from cigarette after cigarette until the pack he had just bought at Doose's was completely gone.<p>

Each cigarette was delicate between his calloused fingers. Against his lips they were dry. It was the hot smoke in his lungs and the warm and bitter taste of the tobacco that calmed him.

Luke was suddenly standing in the doorway, "I thought you quit."

"Huh."

"I see you're back to being surly again."

"Calm down, will you?"

"Me calm down, _sure_. You on the other hand, you can keep sucking on you cancer sticks like they're filled with answers to life. Fine by me!" He was gesturing animatedly now.

Jess smashed the ember out on the side of the building. "All done."

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

"Nope."

"Jess…"

"Who the hell does she think she is?" Jess asked suddenly.

Luke's brows knitted together, "Who?"

He rolled his eyes, "Who do you think? She marries _that guy_, has a kid with _that _guy and gets pissed at _me_ for having a girlfriend?"

"Oh…we're talking about Rory," he finally realized.

"Can't she see that I'm happy? For once, can't she just be happy for me, instead of…"

"Jealous?"

"She is _not_ jealous," Jess insisted.

"You sure about that? She seems to be acting the same way now as she did when you were with that ditzy blonde, what's-her-face."

"Elsie's not Shane."

"She's just not used to you being with somebody else." Luke crossed his arms across his chest.

"I seem to manage okay every time she flaunts her latest suitor in _my_ face."

"You tolerate it at best."

"I do better than her," he argued stubbornly.

"You _just_ referred to Ben as _'that guy'_a minute ago."

"I have no problem with Ben."

"I know you don't."

He took a deep breath, "She could at least try a little harder."

"Don't do this to yourself, Jess. You're happy, she's happy. The two of you together just seem to make each other miserable."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Luke." Rory entered the diner and sat down on an empty stool.<p>

"Coffee?"

"Actually I was looking for Jess."

Luke twisted a dishrag in his hands, "He left town about an hour ago."

"Oh," she managed.

"Yeah, he was in a rush. He left something for you though."

"He did?" Rory was genuinely surprised.

Luke pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "Yeah, it's upstairs. I'm a little busy down here, but you can go up if you'd like."

Rory nodded and stood up, "Okay. Thanks."

Once behind the curtain, Rory made her way up the stairs quickly. On the kitchen table was an old suitcase full of books, all brand new copies of Jess' favorites.

On top of the stacks was a copy of his newest book, the one he was now promoting on his book tour. Rory smiled and opened the cover where a handwritten note was pressed onto the title page in blue ink in narrow scrawl.

_Hopefully Charlotte will grow up with some taste._

_It might be easier this way._

_Jess_

Rory's smile tightened as a lump formed in her throat.

A single tear dropped on his words.

And for the first time in a long while, they both seriously considered their lives apart and reasoned that this was exactly how they should be.


	4. Family

**Chapter Four:**

**Family**

_**June 2013**_

Ben Corrigan kept all of his cameras on the top shelf of a large oak bookshelf he inherited from his grandfather. It was well made and sturdy. When he was a kid, he used to climb on it like a ladder and was always impressed by how it never budged. He decided that's how all things in life should be, himself especially.

He was dependable with an air of adventure. As a photojournalist, he strived to capture those traits in his photographs.

After Rory and Ben got married and they moved into their modest home in Hartford, Rory begged her husband to let her place part of her book collection on those solid shelves. He mentioned something about the shelf being sacred but he said it with his near-perfect smile so she knew he was joking.

One day, when she was removing some books to place an antique-luggage on the bottom shelf he became envious but he didn't let her know it. It had been sitting at her mom's house in Stars Hollow the last couple of years where it couldn't be a tangible reminder of something – _of someone_ – lost.

"What's that?"

Rory looked up from her crouched position and answered honestly, "A present for Charlotte."

"From…?"

She sucked her bottom lip in, "Jess."

Ben knew an argument wouldn't be worth it and that he'd accept it eventually so nothing more was ever said on the matter.

As Ben was often away on business, he was more serious and less predictable each time he returned. Rory missed him terribly when he was gone, though Charlotte never seemed to mind. She was a 'Mommy's girl,' through and through and was used to the sporadic absences of her father. This inevitably worried Rory who feared Charlotte was growing up just as she had – omnipresent mother and ever-disappearing father. Things had to be _somewhat_ different though, she and Ben were married and inseparable; that is, unless he was on business and jet setting to whichever state or country needed him in a given week.

One weekend Ben came back and Charlotte didn't run to the front door. She sat one the floor as her coloring book was set on the coffee table. Her crayons were everywhere, though her favorite – periwinkle blue – was perched in her hand as she skillfully colored within the lines. Rory was just coming out of the kitchen with a plate full of apple slices when she saw a very confused looking Ben standing in front of the open door.

Rory beamed and set the plate down on the coffee table and picked up Charlotte. "Look Char, Daddy's home!" She walked them both to Ben and kissed him firmly on the cheek.

Charlotte cupped her mom's ear and whispered in manner that couldn't be described as discreet, "I'm mad at him, _remember_?"

Ben raised an eyebrow and took Charlotte from Rory, "What'd I do now, cutie?"

She pursed her lips and Rory gave Ben an apologetic smile and gestured to the decorations that filled their living room. "You missed her birthday party. My mom went all out."

Ben pouted at his daughter, "I'm sorry sweetie. But I didn't miss your actual birthday. _That's_ tomorrow. And I have a big surprise!"

Charlotte couldn't hold back a smile, "Really?"

"The biggest!"

"Luke and Mom bought her a pony, I hope you can do better than that," Rory teased.

Ben chuckled, "I bet I can."

Charlotte scrunched up her face as she fidgeted in her dad's arms. "I don't remember getting a pony…"

Rory kissed Charlotte on the forehead. "Keep bothering Grandpa Luke about it, I'm _sure_ he'll give in eventually." Ben set her down on the floor.

"Can we call him now?" she looked up at her parents pleadingly.

"You have to eat your snack first."

Charlotte grinned and walked back to her coloring book and the plate of apples.

* * *

><p>When Rory made a trip to Stars Hollow by herself the next Saturday, daddy and daughter were left alone about to embark on a Disney Princess movie marathon. "You're my favorite girl," he told her as he put <em>Sleeping Beauty<em> in the VCR.

Charlotte frowned, "What about Mommy?"

Ben only smiled in response and it was then that the young girl realized that her dad couldn't lie to her. She was four and couldn't imagine being more grownup than she was now. It was then that she had figured out that everything wasn't perfect between her mommy and daddy.

For lunch they ate peanut butter sandwiches and Ben scooped out extra Neapolitan ice cream for dessert. He let her squeeze out as much chocolate sauce and pile on as many maraschino cherries as she wanted.

Charlotte felt sick for the rest of the afternoon but also an overwhelming sense of happiness because she felt like she knew a secret.

* * *

><p>In Stars Hollow, Rory arrived at her childhood home to meet up with her mother. What she didn't expect was an unfamiliar car sitting next to Lorelai's jeep.<p>

Once inside, the first voice she heard was haunting. As it bounced and echoed off the walls, Rory followed the sound to the kitchen. Luke and Lorelai were seated at the table facing her. Another figure had their back toward her, though she would recognize the messy hair anyway. "Jess," the name escaped her mouth in a soft-whisper that seemed to take her breath along with it – as if her soul was escaping her body.

Jess turned around in his seat and offered her a kind smile. "Hey," he greeted. By then, Rory was gone, just a shell standing with her lips slightly parted as if she had just seen a ghost.

When Rory finally came to, she quickly excused herself from the room mumbling something about needing to grab something at Doose's.

"What the hell was that?" Luke asked.

"Beats me," Lorelai added. "Anything you'd like to explain, Jess?"

"No idea." He shrugged with arms outstretched for full dramatic effect. He glanced at Luke, "_Women_, right?"

"Jess…" Luke scolded.

"Fine," Jess rolled his eyes and stood up. "I guess I'll go ask."

He grabbed his coat off the back of the chair and escaped out the kitchen door. Just before he closed it, he heard Luke ask Lorelai, "I thought they were okay?"

Jess sighed as he buttoned up his jean jacket and walked into the October afternoon.

At Doose's he found Rory standing in front of a shelf with bags of marshmallows stacked on top of one another. "_Wow_. With necessities like these, it's no wonder you bolted so fast." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black slacks.

She turned to look at him as she crossed her arms. Her shopping basket was still hanging off one of her arms.

"Do you need some help?" He picked up a bag, "Because the colored ones _really_ do something for me."

"Jess…"

He blinked slowly, "_Yes_, Rory."

"What are you doing here?"

He faked confusion across his features, "I thought we were deciding which marshmallows to get."

She rolled her eyes, "I meant Stars Hollow, genius."

"Ah," he remarked but didn't say anything further.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

He put the marshmallows in her basket. "You know what we should make? Some Rice Krispies treats." Jess started walking to the cereal aisle.

Rory begrudgingly followed, "Uh…"

"Your kid likes those right?"

Rory frowned as he put the box of cereal in her basket. "Yeah."

"Okay. It's decided then." He took the basket out of her hands and walked to the register.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought I just said." The cashier told him the total and he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. "Her birthday was recently, wasn't it?" He handed the woman a ten-dollar bill and gestured for her to put the change in the latest 'Save the Bridge' fund box as he picked up the paper bag.

Rory couldn't help but smile, "Yeah. Last week."

"Four now?" he led her outside.

"Yeah." Rory ran a hand through her hair, "God, that makes me feel old."

He smirked as they walked side-by-side back to the Gilmore house. Jess motioned toward the bag, "Consider it a belated present from Uncle Jess."

She laughed and raised an eyebrow, "_Uncle_ Jess?"

"I'm sure it's an upgrade from whatever it is _you_ call me under your breath."

"I've never said anything bad about you." He looked at her skeptically, "Well, to Charlotte at least."

Jess nodded as they walked onto the porch, "Sounds about right."

Rory led the way as they entered the house through the back door. Jess set the bag on the table where Luke and Lorelai were now noticeably absent. A brightly colored Post-it caught their attention. Written in Lorelai's loopy scrawl:

_Hey Sweets! Luke and I went to the diner. You two have fun and call if you need anything!_

Jess took out the groceries and made his way around the kitchen to get out the proper supplies while Rory scowled at her mom's note. "I can't believe it."

"What?"

"You two are in cahoots." Jess began to take off his jacket but said nothing. "Oh my god!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He set a mixing bowl on the table.

"You wanted to see me!" she smiled. "Admit it."

"I was in town," he stated simply.

"This definitely explains why Mom said it was urgent that I come home today."

Jess chuckled, "What excuse did she use?"

"I didn't actually ask."

"Quality trait in a reporter," he quipped.

"Shut up."

He ignored her and pointed at the table, "Are you gonna help me, or not?"

* * *

><p>Rory collapsed on the couch holding her stomach. "Ugh, food coma…."<p>

Jess shook his head as he lifted her legs so that he could sit on the couch. He placed them in his lap and reached for the remote so he could turn on the TV. "I tried to tell you. You were the one who insisted on eating the first batch." He began to flip through the channels.

"_I told you. _Quality control. I can't give Charlotte any substandard goods. What kind of mother would I be?"

"Lucky she has you then."

"I whisper that in her ear every night before she falls asleep."

Jess scoffed, "You're becoming more and more like Lorelai every day."

* * *

><p>When Rory arrived home, she heard Charlotte's bare feet pad across the hallway. "Mommy!"<p>

Ben followed quickly behind and leaned casually against the living room wall. "What'd you bring us?"

Rory just seemed to remember the plate of treats she was holding in her hand. Charlotte began to jump up and down excitedly trying to sneak a peek. "Your Uncle Jess made you some Rice Krispies for your birthday!" Rory tried the title out for the first time. It seemed to fit.

Ben squirmed, "Jess was in Stars Hollow?"

Rory walked up to her husband and pecked him on the cheek. Charlotte was holding on to her leg as they both headed toward the kitchen. "Yeah. I guess he was visiting Luke. I only found out when I got there."

Charlotte looked confused. "Which one is Uncle Jess again?"

"Grandpa Luke's nephew."

"I don't think I know him," she pursed her lips.

"You haven't seen him since you were _really_small." Rory set the plate on the kitchen counter and grabbed a piece from underneath the saran wrap cover. She handed it to Charlotte. "But he's the one who bought you all those books, sweetie."

The girl took a bite of her snack, "The ones I can't read?"

Ben patted his daughter on the head, "The ones you can't read _yet_. You'll get there soon." He got a glass from the cabinet and moved to the sink to fill it with water.

"The words are harder than my other books."

Rory squatted down to Charlotte's level, "They just have a lot of words you don't know yet. How's your Rice Krispie?"

"Really yummy."

"You'll have to thank Jess the next time you see him."

"Maybe I'll read one of the stories he bought me to him!" Charlotte exclaimed excitedly.

"I think he'd like that." Rory grinned as she picked her up. "But right now, it's bed time."

Charlotte pouted and turned to her dad, "Will you read me a story?"

"Of course, squirt."

She beamed and tugged on Rory's hair, "Mommy too. That way she can do some of the voices."

They started for the stairs. "Mmk, but you have to brush your teeth first."

Ben flipped the light on in Charlotte's room. "I'll pick out the book while you get ready for bed."

Rory set Charlotte down and let her run off to the bathroom. "Pick one of Uncle Jess'!" she yelled from down the hall.

Ben gave Rory a look as she sat on the edge of Charlotte's bed. "What can I say? She has Gilmore blood and Gilmore's can always be bought with food."

He grabbed an anthology of short stories out of that old suitcase that had made its way up to Charlotte's room once she became determined to read them all. He sat down next to his wife, "She barely remembers meeting the guy and I think she has her first crush."

"At least it's getting her to read more," Rory offered.

Ben wrapped an arm around Rory's shoulders and kissed her on the temple. "Missed you today."

"You should have come to Stars Hollow with me."

"I think Char and I needed that one-on-one bonding."

"Oh yeah?"

Ben smiled, "Yeah. I think she may like me better than you now."

Rory laughed, "Impossible." She pecked him on the lips. "I like it when you're home."

"There are benefits, aren't there?" He cupped her cheek with his free hand and kissed her deeply.

"Ewwwww!" They broke apart and saw Charlotte standing in the doorway with her hands covering her eyes, "Did you stop?"

"Yes, we stopped," Ben let out a dry laugh. He stood up. "C'mon, let's tuck you in."

Rory lifted the sheets and Charlotte crawled in between them. Rory and Ben sat on either side of her and sat against the headboard. The fit was cozy. Rory handed Charlotte the book to hold. "Pick one out of here."

Charlotte opened to a random page. "This one!"

Ben flipped a few pages back to the beginning of the story and began to read:

'_One hot evening in Padua they carried him up onto the roof and he could look over the top of the town. There were chimney swifts in the sky…'_

Charlotte constantly made them stop whenever a word she had never heard came up. They took turns explaining definitions in ways she would understand. The three of them huddled together and they continued a life together that had formed a family.


End file.
